Xander's War
by OrionArion
Summary: Xander found the Chief before Johnson did and now he's in the fight to save humanity!
1. Sierra 117

Xander's War

**Finish the fight.**

_Sierra 117_

The jungle had a spectacular beauty that rivaled the gorgeous stars above, but it was lost on the man that maniacly hurried along the floor. Xander ran faster than he ever did before through the african forest, his chest heaving violently with the effort. The Covenant patrol he and his friends had run into was so close behind him he could almost feel the Brute's breathign down his neck, and it was gaining. Clutching a stolen plasma rifle in one hand and the stock of a dirty carbine in his other, he bolted around enormous trees and through thick ferns, over craggy rocks and shallow streams.

He felt a burning spike zing past his ear, missing him by a few mere centimeters, and Xander quickly leapt behind a rock. He jammed the plasma rifle into the makeshift holster he had made for it from fern leaves and shoe laces. Jenny, his younger brother's pretty girlfriend, had painstakingly taught him how.

Xander kept running, despite the fact that his heart was pounding in his chest like a sledge hammer. He was the last, and he be damned if he was going to kick the bucket too. Xander knew that fighting when he was out numbered and out gunned was suicide, but he was blinded by the want for revenge on the Covenant for Paula, Jack, Gordon, and Jenny.

The five were hungrily scrounging for food when the Brute shot Jack in the back. Gordon was the next victim, cut down and gutted by the blade of a Brute shot. Paula died from many burns from plasma fire, and Jenny's side had exploded from needler rounds. It was over almost as soon as it began. Xander only got a few defensive shots off before he was forced to retreat.

Tears painfully stung the cut on his cheek he had received from the violent skirmish, courtesy of the same Brute that had evilly filled Jack with spikes. He quickly wiped away the traitorous tears that blurred his vision. There was time to mourn later, it was time for revenge, and retribution should always be swift. He needed to get to higher ground and rain death and hellfire on the murdering scum. He patted the stolen plasma and spike grenades. Swift retribution.

He carefully snuck through the foliage now, no longer on the run. He silently climbed up a steep incline, and slowly doubled back to the murderous Covenant, keeping well hidden.

The Brutes were trying to sniff out his trail, having lost sight of him. There were just two Brutes, both in blue armor- Minors, if Xander remembered right, and if the Brutes maintained simular ranking style of the Elites. The Grunts were lazily sitting around, some already falling asleep because of the sudden lack of action.

Xander carefully strapped the carbine to his back and pulled the two spike grenades from his belt. Priming them, he took a running leap off the ledge.

Screaming like an enraged primal animal, he unleashed his fury upon the Brutes first, savagly throwing the grenades and hearing the satisfactory 'slunk' that meant that they had met targets. Xander dove behind a rock for cover.

One Brute had caught it in the helmet, one of the spikes pinning the headpiece to its skull. The Brute wasn't in agony long. The grenade exploded, sending the other spikes into the air in the form of lethal shrapnel.

The other grenade had missed it's intended target, instead sinking into the methane tank of a Grunt that bolted upright as Xander had screamed. The unlucky alien had been dozing right in the path of the grenade and the Brute wielding the Brute shot. The grenade blew, igniting the methane and the resulting blast killed several nearby Grunts and weakened the power armor of the remaining Brute.

Xander grabbed the carbine and unloaded the weapon on the surviving Brute, making the beast sink to the ground and into the cold talons of death.

Xander ejected the carbine's clip, if it could be called that, and replaced it with a new one. He noticed it was his second to last clip of carbine ammo. He switched to the plasma rifle, then retrieved the spiker. He mercilessly unloaded the spiker on the unorganized Grunts and used the plasma rifle to finish them off.

He glanced at the plasma rifle after he tossed away the spiker, noticing it was at quarter-charge. He needed to conserve ammo, now more than ever.

He carefully and thoroughly combed the area for the needler and the Grunt that wielded it. Having found the weapon and it's previous owner, he reloaded the weapon and grabbed it's remaining ammunition. He holstered the plasma rifle, and carried the needler in his hand. After collecting replacements for the grenades he used, he quickly left the blood soaked area.

He wandered haphazrdly in the forest for hours, mourning his friends. It was too dangerous to return to bury the bodies, so he forged his own trail further into the jungle and away from them.

He had stumbled upon Master Chief purely by accident. He saw the small impact crater and the green Spartan not far from the crashed piece of spacecraft hull. Everyone knew who Master Chief was, so Xander had no doubt on if this armored man was a friend. Keeping the needler handy, in case any Covenant were around, he climbed down the incline to the unmoving Spartan, worried that Master Chief had joined those who had crossed beyond.

Almost immediately after he reached the Chief, Xander was surrounded by angry marines. Quickly dropping the needler on the ground, he raised his hands above his head. "Don't shoot!"

"Stand down, marines. He's a human, not Covenant scum," a gruff voice ordered.

The marines lowered their assault rifles, and Xander turned to the man he recognized as Sergeant Major Avery Johnson. Xander had seen the award ceremony vid that had been taped just before the First Battle of Earth. He nodded to the Sergeant.

"Thank you, sir." Xander gingerly picked up the needler again.

"You alone, kid?" Johnson asked.

Xander decided to let the 'kid' comment slide. "No, sir... until this afternoon, sir. My friends and I ran into a Covenant patrol... and I'm the only one left."

Johnson started to scan the jungle, and the marines trained their weapons on the trees. Xander shook his head.

"That patrol isn't going to bother us. It's been wiped out." Xander patted his new grenades.

Johnson studied him. "The work of you and your pals?"

Xander shook his head sorrowfully. "No. My friends died in the ambush, and I had to retreat. I doubled back once I got to higher ground and returned the favor."

Johnson studied him again. "All by your lonesome?" He asked, skeptically.

Xander nodded.

Johnson leaned towards him. "How many were there?"

Xander thought for a moment. "Two blue armored Brutes and half a dozen Grunts."

The marines shook their heads in disbelief, and Johnson got right in his face. "Are you telling the truth, kid?"

Xander turned the needler around in his hand so he as holding the bottom of it, offering the weapon to Johnson. "This is the needler that killed one of my friends."

Johnson stared at it for a moment before backing off. "Good man. Ever think about joining the Marines?"

Xander laughed. "Yes, but my father was an Army man. He had connections that prevented me from joining the Marines each time I applied."

"How old are you?"

"Thirty."

"Any your pappy had that much control over your life?"

"He tried."

The Master Chief grunted, and Johnson spun towards him. "Private!"

One of the marines bolted forward with something in his hands. He pressed a few buttons on it, unlocking the armor and letting the Spartan up.

"You damned fool, why do you always jump?" Johnson lectured angrily. "One of these days you're going to land on something as stubborn as you are, and I don't do bits and pieces, Chief. Cortana, how's things?"

After a moment of silence, Xander looked around at the names stenciled on the armor of the marines to see if any had 'Cortana' on it."

"Cortana? You in there?" Johnson asked again, knocking loudly on the Chief's helmet.

Xander thought for a moment that perhaps 'Cortana' was the Chief's real name.

"Where is she, Chief?" Johnson asked pulling the AI chip from the back of the Spartan's helmet. "Where's Cortana?"

Chief took the chip from the Sergeant Major. He looked at it a bit, making Xander think he was remembering something. Chief put the chip back in the helmet. "She stayed behind."

Xander spotted a shimmer behind Johnson. He was about to yell a warning and raise his needler, but Chief beat him to the punch, snatching Johnson's pistol and grabbing the invisible Elite. His movements were a blur to Xander.

Xander had seen vids of Elites, but this one's armor was different. Johnson shouted at the Chief. "Chief, wait! The Arbiter's with us!"

Chief didn't remove the pistol from where the Arbiter's chin would have been it the alien had been human.

Xander had raised his needler after Chief had rushed the Elite, but a glare from Johnson made him lower it.

"Come on now, we have enough problems without you two trying to kill each other."

Chief removed the pistol and the Arbiter adjusted his mandibles. "Were it so easy. Come, the Brutes have our scent."

"Then they must love the smell of green." Johnson took an assault rifle from a marine and handed it to the Master Chief. "Let's move out."

Feeling sorry for the Marine, who was now left with only a pistol, Xander handed over his needler and the ammo for it. The Marine nodded his thanks.

"I'm Private Bill Wilson."

"Alex Blacksmith, but my friends call me Xander."

"Am I you friend now after I've pointed a gun at you?" Wilson asked coyly.

Xander shrugged. "Only if you want to be."

Johnson glared at them. "Shut it, marines." He glanced at Xander again. "What did you say your name was, kid?"

"Blacksmith, sir. Xander Blacksmith."

"Shut it, Xander." Johnson returned his attention forward and Xander resisted a small urge to rudely flip Johnson the birdie while the Sergeant Major's back was turned.

A familiar howl filled the air, and Xander dove under cover of a rock ledge, his bones rattling from the howl. The marines kept moving, though one whispered into his radio.

"Sergeant Major, Phantom inbound!"

Xander didn't hear Johnson's reply, but Wilson waved at Xander to follow him. After seeing Xander hesitantly comply, Wilson turned and followed Master Chief and the Arbiter as the group split up.

Xander pulled out his carbine and jogged forward. Chief easliy jumped up onto a rock, and Wilson hurriedly climbed up after him. Xander made a running leap onto the rock, though he had to throw his weight forward to avoid falling off the way he came. Xander knew it wasn't much of a feat, but he really hoped that the Chief had seen it.

Instantly, Xander mentally chided himself. "Idiot," he thought, "showing off and trying to impress someone, especially a Spartan, will only get yourself or someone else killed."

He spotted the Brute up on the ledge across the stream. He instantly plastered himself to the rock and aimed his carbine. He had figured out how to use the 2x zoom on the carbine the first day he took it from the dead Brute that owned it before him. He was about to squeeze a shot off when the Master Chief opened fire with the assault rifle in short, controlled bursts. The Brute moved, and Xander kept his carbine on him. Xander waited until the Chief took out the armor, then Xander squeezed off three shots right to the Brute's head, taking the monster down.

Chief quickly glanced around to Xander's position, and Xander shrugged. "Can't let you have all the fun." Xander ran ahead, managing to score head shots on all the disorderly Grunts as they panicked.

A Phantom appeared over the edge of the cliff, looming over the earthlings, and a Grunt opened fire with a plasma turret. The Arbiter sniped it, and one of Xander's shots ignited a methane tank belonging to another Grunt inside the Phantom, killing several other Grunts inside the alien drop ship. This earned Xander a thumbs up from Wilson.

The Brute that had just jumped out of the Phantom opened fire on the Arbiter, only to change targets when it spotted Master Chief. Xander savagly attacked the Brute's flank, helping Chief and the Arbiter take down the power armor by combining fire on their target. The Brute keeled over, dead before it hit the ground. Xander helped pick off the rest of the Grunts in the immediate area, while the Master Chief and the Arbiter attacked the next group coming out of the caves ahead.

Wilson fired the needler, filling a Grunt with needles. The needles exploded lethally, igniting the methane tank and killing a few more Grunts that had lingered too close to their doomed brother. Xander emptied his clip into the remaining Grunts, then reloaded, remembering that this was his last clip of ammo for the carbine.

The group ran quietly through the caves and stumbled to a halt when they made it through to the other side. Xander saw Chief carefully examine the area. One of the marines pointed at a sleeping Grunt.

"Sleepers!" he whispered. "Tap 'em out!"

"Wait," Chief quickly grabbed the marine's shoulder. "There are jackals with carbines out there, not to mention several Brutes. We have to do this quietly."

They moved as stealthy as they could, meleeing Grunts, killing the small aliens before they awoke. Xander and Wilson flanked the Covenant's right side as the Chief and the others flanked the alien's left. One of the Brutes spotted Xander, and it loudly raised the alarm. The Arbiter, who had taken a sniping position, opened fire, and the Chief unleashed his rifle.

Xander and Wilson had fewer unfriendlies to deal with, so the two joined up with the others rather quickly. When the last of the stuborn Covenant went down, Xander raced over to the supply cases filled with alien weaponry. He reloaded on carbine ammo. He didn't find another plasma rifle, so he kept the one he had, even if it was at quarter charge.

Moving into the next area, there was a mean looking, gold clad Brute standing on a solid, naturally occurring bridge to the ledge above, questioning a marine it was painfully dangling in the air.

"Tell me its location," the Brute snarled menacingly.

"Kiss my-" the marine began, but was interrupted by Chief's rifle, roaring bullets into the Brute. The Brute dropped the marine, who scurried away, and the Arbiter fired on the Brute as well. Under the combined fire, the Brute's armor gave way, but the Brute launched itself down, landing heavily on the ground beneath the bridge, and drew its weapon. Xander's carbine fired four shots to the Brute's head before the beast dropped, and the Grunts were made short work of.

The group viscously fought their way through the next group of Covenant and entered the caves. Chief stopped suddenly, shaking his head as if he was trying desperately to clear it. A data pad beeped loudly. The private carrying it looked at it, then worriedly turned to the Chief.

"Chief, you okay?" Wilson asked, noticing the Chief's state.

"Your vitals just pinged KIA," the private with the pad added.

Chief ignored them and quickly pushed past. Xander raised an eyebrow at Wilson, but his newfound friend just shrugged.

The Pelicans were raining death and fire on a large group of Covenant at the rendezvous point. The Arbiter picked up a grenade at the edge of the ledge, primed it, and threw it. "Grenades, blow them to bits!"

Xander picked up two frag grenades and put them in this belt, then quickly primed another from the ground and tossed it at a group of Grunts. He watched the entire group explode, their methane tanks blowing like oversized firecrackers on the Fourth of July.

Xander heard a loud, haunting wail in the air, like the scream of some terribly horrible monster. Wilson worriedly looked up.

Two purple Banshees flew by the Pelicans and fired green death upon the drop ships. Xander watched in horror as their only way out of this jungle hellhole lost control and disappeared down river.

The group vengefully charged the Covenant troops along the river. The aliens never knew what hit them. One Brute went berserk, but Chief viscously shoved a broken metal bar through the alien's skull and let the monster sink to the ground.

Xander and the Arbiter provided sniper fire from the roof of an abandoned structure to support the others, while the Master Chief and the others rushed the structures ahead.

After they cleaned that area, the Arbiter turned to Xander and carefully regarded the man for a moment. "The Banshees will return. Quickly, into the jungle."

Xander and the Arbiter quickly caught up with Chief and the others. Wilson nodded towards the trees. "Jackals. Looks like they've got carbines."

Xander smiled mischievously. "Excellent. Target practice that gives you back your ammo, with interest!"

After they finished killing the Jackals, Xander climbed up a ledge and saw Johnson and his marines falling back from the crash site, firing on the Covenant troops. "Come on!" Johnson shouted tauntingly. "You want breakfast, come and get it!"

Chief and Xander's group somehow managed to avoid fire from a Phantom, kill the Covenant by the cliffs, and make it to the downed Pelican. The party began restocking on ammo. Chief traded his M6 pistol for a S2 sniper rifle, Wilson traded his own pistol for an assault rifle, but kept the needler. The others, except for Xander and the Arbiter, stocked up on ammo.

"Sergeant Major went this way, Chief. Through the caves," said the marine with the data pad.

They came upon a good sized dam, and the Arbiter pointed at something across the water. Xander squinted and could barely make out Johnson, being kicked into a small building by a Brute chieftain. "See how they bait their trap?" the Arbiter asked the Chief. "I will help you spring it."

Chief began sniping the Brutes, Xander and the Arbiter began shooting the jackals with their carbines, and the marines lobbed grenades down on the Covenant that were too close to snipe.

The Brute chieftain had disappeared somewhere, and the group rushed the building on the near side of the dam. They were pinned down from enemy fire, but the Chief and the Arbiter, having shields, managed to thin the Covenant ranks. Xander pulled off a few shots before he had to duck behind his cover again, but he accedently tripped over a dead Grunt, falling off the platform and into the room underneath. He glanced up to see the missing Brute chieftain, standing over him with a wide, evil grin and a gravity hammer.

The monster raised his weapon, preparing to strike his quarry, but Xander quickly rolled between the Brute's legs, then sprang to his feet. Spinning around, he started shooting the Brute's headpiece. The helm was made of sterner stuff than the other helms, so it took more shooting to knock it off. Until Xander could shoot it off, he had to dodge more viscous attacks from the hammer. Their duel led them down the passage under the dam's top, where the Brute didn't have the room to swing his hammer, and to the other side of the dam. It was then that the helm popped off the Brute's head, but then the Brute activated a shield.

Xander cursed quietly under his breath. He quickly dropped a primed grenade and dived away before the explosive went off. The shield took the brunt of the blast, but the Brute was now even angrier than before. Xander hurriedly ran into a larger room and sped up a ladder.

The chieftain started to move faster and bash the hammer around more haphazardly, not caring if he got close to Xander or not. He leaped up after Xander, and pursued the much smaller human running across the top of the dam.

Reaching the building where he fell into the clutches of the Brute chieftain, he dropped another primed grenade, hoping to take down the shields of the crazy alien. He turned on a dime after the explosion and emptied his clip on the alien while backpedaling. Before he could reach for another clip, the Brute swung the hammer again, trying to crush Xander into the ground. Xander quickly leaped for safety. The hammer busted a crate and sent it flying. Xander landed safely, then rushed the Brute, violently smashing the stock of his carbine in the Brute's face like a baseball bat, breaking the rifle.

The Brute's hammer had been poised over it's head for another strike, but the carbine to the face caused the Brute to drop the large weapon over its back to instinctively grab its own face in pain. The hammer landed, sending a shock wave that killed the Brute and sent Xander flying into a wall. The last thing Xander painfuly remembered before he blacked out was yet another Phantom approaching.


	2. Crow's Nest

_Crow's Nest_

Xander's consciousness came slowly back to him, as if hesitant to return to the intense pain he was feeling. Despite its best and desperate efforts, he slowly awoke, in what he soon realized was a Pelican drop ship. He looked up at Wilson, who was carefully bandaging Xander's head. Wilson grinned from ear to ear.

"Welcome back to the world of the living, Xander."

"Hey Sarge! Sleeping Beauty's awake!" shouted a woman's voice.

"What happened? I remember seeing a Phantom..."

"One of our Pelicans, piloted by Hocus, blew those Phantoms out of the sky just after you blacked out. Man, what were you thinking? Taking on a Brute chieftain?" Wilson shook his head in disbelief. "Do you have a death wish?"

"The bastard didn't leave me much choice. Where are we going?"

"Crow's Nest, a bunker left over from some twentieth century war," Wilson replied. "We'll be safe there."

"Good," Xander managed to say just before his consciousness stepped out for a quick breather.

Xander awoke again a while later, feeling the Pelican suddenly dropping from underneath him. They were landing.

Xander made to sit up, but Wilson quickly pushed him down again. "You're an injured man, remember?"

Xander batted Wilson's hands aside in frustration and slowly sat up. "I can walk. It might hurt, but I can walk." Xander didn't want to be babied.

Wilson soon realized defeat and helped the repeat survivor to his feet, pulling Xander's arm over his shoulders. Xander yanked his arm back, proving he was stable, and heard Johnson grunt.

"He's as stubborn as you are, Chief. You sure you're not related?"

Chief didn't reply, but kept looking out the back of the Pelican, ignoring Johnson. The Pelican touched ground. Chief, the Arbiter, and Johnson were the first off.

"Where'd you find him?" A feminine voice asked. Xander looked up, enchanted by the mystical sound.

He gazed upon a beautiful woman, wearing a gray naval uniform that hugged her body.

"Out back, napping."

"I bet. Good to see you again, Chief."

"Likewise Ma'am."

"Who's the big hero Hocus was talking about?" the woman asked curiously, looking around.

Johnson turned to Xander. "Xander, front and center!" Xander slowly walked up to the group. Johnson turned back to the woman. "Ma'am, may I present Xander Blacksmith."

Xander gazed into the woman's eyes. She smiled and held out her hand.

"Mr. Blacksmith, welcome to Crow's Nest. I'm Commander Miranda Keyes."

Xander shook her hand. "Just call me Xander, ma'am. I'd rather not be confused with my father."

Keyes smiled. "All right. If you gentlemen would follow me, I'll bring you up to speed."

It was all Xander could do to keep himself from gazing at her buttocks as she turned away. He wondered why everyone wasn't asking why he was blushing.

The reason hit him like a freight train. He hurriedly glanced at his finger tips, worry creasing his brow.

The tips had grown a bit blue, which meant that the condition was still in it's early stages. He breathed a silent sigh of relief. He smoothly opened the small pack attached to his belt with a practiced ease and pulled out a pill bottle. He opened it and poured the contents into his palm... or they would have been poured into his hand, if there were any contents.

He worriedly shook the bottle and glanced inside. To his horror, there was nothing, not even dust. He sadly closed the bottle. As he was putting it away, Johnson suddenly looked back at him. Xander closed the pack quickly, not wanting the Sergeant Major to see the pill bottle. Johnson soon turned away again, as if nothing was amiss.

"Ma'am? I have Lord Hood." Xander looked up at the marine who reported this.

"Put him through." Keyes replied calmly.

"Good news, Commander?" was the first thing the white clad Admiral said as he popped on the screen, adjusting his hat.

"Good as it gets, sir." Keyes replied, nodding to the Master Chief.

"So I see. What's your status, son?" Hood asked.

"Green," Master Chief replied. "Sir," he added.

"Good to hear."

Xander didn't hear the rest of the conversation, as he was wondering about his condition. He slowly flexed his hands, drawing them into tight fists, then relaxing them before repeating the process.

He was seven when he first collapsed, his hands a deep blue from poor circulation. He remembered the horror on his mother's face as the doctor informed her of the condition Xander had inherited, and the repeated sightings of that face every time he ran out of medicine as a child. He wondered how long he had before his condition forced him to collapse, his body starving for oxygen-carrying blood that his heart wasn't pumping well enough.

Xander suddenly noticed Johnson covertly staring at his hands, and Xander hid them in his pockets. He didn't want anyone snooping into his problems, seeing that they had enough on their hands.

The lights went out and Xander reached for the plasma rifle on reflex. He didn't draw it, but his hand on it was calming as he tried to figure out what had happened.

"Backup generators!" ordered Keyes.

Xander saw Master Chief stealing a sideways glance at him in the dark.

The screens lit up again, this time with an udly alien staring at them.

"All of you, vermin, cowering in the dirt, thinking, what, I wonder? That you might escape the coming fire? No. Your world will burn until it is but glass, and not even your demon will rise, blackened from its hole, to mar the reflection of our passage. Your destruction is the will of the gods. And I? I... Am... Their Instrument!"

The screens went black just as the lights came up.

"Cocky bastard, just loves to run his mouth," Johnson spat.

"Does he always mention me?" Chief asked, looking at Keyes.

"Okay. Wait a minute." Xander said, bringing his hands out to have the others pause. He quickly hid his hands again as Johnson glanced at them. "Who was that guy?"

The Arbiter answered him as Keyes gave out orders for an evacuation. "He is Truth, the liar prophet of the Covenant. He deceived even me, and is the force behind the war between the Covenant and you humans." The Arbiter's voice was dripping with hate when he spoke of Truth.

Xander nodded. "Okay, so are we going to take this guy out, or what?"

The Arbiter put his face right in Xander's. "The prophet will die by my hands."

Xander nodded, backing up. "If I get to him first, I'll be sure to save him for you."

Johnson grabbed Xander's hand. Xander tried to pull it back, but the Sergeant-Major's grip was too strong.

"What's with the fingers, kid? Anything to do with those pills you took?" Johnson whispered. The Arbiter glanced at Xander's hand.

"My problems are none of your concern!" Xander argued, finally yanking his hand back.

"Kid, I've seen that before. Your blood is not getting to your fingers!"

"I know that! And I would rather not have everyone else knowing it! We have enough problems to deal with without haveing to add mine to them."

"You listen to me kid, and you listen good. You could die if that progresses too far."

"And I could die fighting the Covenant!"

"Gentlemen, is there something wrong?" Keyes asked, walking up to them.

"No, Ma'am. Just a guy talk," Xander lied. He looked around and saw Chief run up the stairs and disappear. "Where's Chief going?"

"He's going to make sure that the Covenant doesn't get in," Keyes answered.

"I'll go help." Xander made to follow the Spartan, but Johnson grabbed him.

"Not so fast, Xander. I want you to escort the Commander to her Pelican." Xander turned to argue but Johnson cut him off. "She's the most important person here, Xander."

"I can take take care of myself, Sergeant Major," Keyes argued sternly.

"I know, ma'am, but I want you to have an extra gun with you, just in case you run into a bunch of Brutes." Johnson looked at a group of technicians bringing equipment into the ops center. "Besides, I need you both out of the way as we give the Covenant our welcoming gift. I suggest you get going, ma'am," Johnson said, walking away. "As you said, we're about to get hit."

Xander held the assault rifle lightly in his hands as he walked Keyes down the tunnel. He kept glancing around, making sure his eyes were anywhere but on Keyes's tush.

Keyes glanced back at him. "Nervous, Xander?"

Xander grimaced. "Not really, Ma'am," he lied. Who wouldn't be nervous around this _very_ attractive woman? "Just keeping my eyes off- er- out for Covenant."

Keyes stopped. She slowly turned to him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he replied, not meeting her eyes.

"Are you attracted to me, Xander?"

"What?"

"It's written all over your face. You won't even look me in the eye."

Xander suddenly grabbed her and threw her behind some crates, leaping after her.

"Xander! What are you- get off of-" Xander covered her mouth and put a finger to his lips.

"Brutes," he whispered, nodding down the tunnel. "We might have to go around another way."

Keyes pushed Xander off of her and looked down the tunnel. There were indeed Brutes, accompanied by Grunts and Jackals, moving past their path along an intersecting route. She looked at him over her shoulder. "Give me some warning next time."

"There wasn't time to!" He argued. He peaked over the top of the crates. "I don't think they saw us."

"I'm glad they don't smell us," Keyes retorted miserably.

Xander sniffed his arm. "Do I smell that bad?"

"When was the last time you bathed?" Keyes asked.

"It's hard to find time to bathe when you're running for your life."

"Well, take a shower the first chance you get."

"Yes, Ma'am."

The Covenant had disappeared, and the pair continued on their way. Keyes glanced at him.

"You didn't answer my question."

"And I'm not going to. Besides, I bet a lot of guys are attracted to you. What does it matter if one more does or not?"

They reached the platform before Keyes could reply, and they boarded the Pelican. Keyes went to the cockpit while Xander sat in a seat in the back.

After sitting down for a while, Xander examined his fingers again. Despite his moving around and the bit of adrenaline he got from avoiding Covenant, they were still blue. He flexed his hands again, trying to get the blood pumping again.

He cursed Johnson. If the Sergeant Major had let him fight, he wouldn't be worrying about how he was going to get his adrenaline going.

His eye caught the med kit across from him. There had to be adrenaline in there, and he didn't have any pills left. One shot of adrenaline, and that would keep him going for a few more hours.

He stood up just in time to hear the whine. He wondered what it was. He racked his memory, but nothing he had heard before sounded like this.

The Pelican lifted off and Xander had to fight to stay standing. A Brute flashed by the back of the pelican, a strange device on its back.

The pelican stayed aloft for a few minutes until Hocus decided it was safe to land. The first figure Xander saw was Master Chief, dragging a dead Brute to the edge of the platform and chucking it off.

Xander heard gunshots over the engines. He was about to get off the Pelican to investigate when Wilson jumped onboard, looking a bit beat up. Xander checked his friend over, making sure his friend didn't have any life threatening injuries.

The Sergeant Major boarded the Pelican last, just after the Arbiter. He glanced up at Xander, who had finished checking Wilson and had moved on to the next marine. Xander angrily ignored the stares that Johnson gave his fingers and kept working.

The doors to the Pelican closed, holding out the wind. Xander had finished checking his fourth person when Johnson was summoned to the cockpit.

Xander finished checking over the bruised marines before he sat in the seat that Johnson had vacated. He glanced out the Pelican's rear window as the scenery changed from jungle to safari.


	3. The Storm

_The Storm_

Xander had no idea that they had lost contact with Chief, or that they had regained it a while later, but now they had made it to Voi, and he pushed back a bunch of flashbacks from his escape from here with his brother and friends.

The Arbiter silently watched Xander as he jumped off the back of the Pelican with the marines and load up in a troop transport warthog. He shook his head disapprovingly at the boy's foolishness. Xander wasn't wearing any armor, a Brute could pick up his scent from a mile away, and he one of his weapons only had a quarter charge to it. Yet the Arbiter also knew that the boy had survived impossible odds in the past, and judging from the conversation between Xander and Johnson, the boy had survived those odds all his life. The Arbiter began to rethink his disapproval at Xander's eagerness to fight.

Johnson came to the back of the Pelican and saw Xander in the Warthog. He was about to angrily call the civilian back when the Arbiter quickly gripped the man's arm. "The boy will be fine."

Johnson studied the Elite Holy Warrior, then nodded, trusting humanity's new found ally. He gave Xander an angry final glance, then went back to the cockpit.

The Arbiter gripped his carbine even tighter. He was really itching to fight too, but he would bide his time. The lair would meet his death soon enough.

Xander piled out with the others once they reached the first gate, waiting for Chief to take point. The Master Chief let a marine press the control, and the Spartan charged in. He moved so quickly that all Xander could see of him was a green blur. Chief hit the next control and the marines easily slaughtered the Covenant on the other side of the second gate, using the Warthog's 50-caliber turret to take down the shielded jackals. Chief opened the next gate and the group slaughtered the next group of covenant. A Grunt dropped a small container, which burst open. A fully loaded fuel rod gun dropped out, and Xander quickly grabbed it and its spare ammo as he ran, strapping the assault rifle to his back. Chief took one look at the weapon and nodded.

"Good choice." With those two words, Chief ran ahead and jumped on a Ghost. Xander had no idea how to drive one, so he ran to the door and hit the control, letting the Chief shoot out like a rocket. Chief made straight for the AA Wraith.

Xander ran along, using his fuel rod gun to kill Brutes with brutal blasts and smacking Grunts to death. There were a bunch of Covenant holed up on a rooftop, and Xander yelled for the marines near it to dive for cover.

Xander shot green death on the Covenant up on the top, and soon, the building was back under human control. He glanced over to Master Chief, who had left his ghost and had boarded the AA Wraith. He easily killed the gunner, then busted the hatch covering the driver, then tossed a primed grenade inside.

The Master Chief quickly leaped off as the tank blew. A regular Wraith rained mortars on the marines, but Chief took that one down too.

Chief waited for Xander and the Marines before he opened the next gate. A 50-calibar turret rained death upon Grunts and jackals, courtesy of the Marines holed up on the other side of the gate.

"Watch you fire! It's the Chief!" yelled a feminine voice.

Chief spotted a Brute in the area above. Xander reloaded his fuel rod gun and took aim, but the Chief put a hand on his shoulder. "Let me."

Chief quickly ran to a door on their left. The door opened automatically and then shut behind the Master Chief. There was a loud tussle upstairs, then Master Chief reappeared, carrying an unmounted Plasma turret that was covered in Brute blood. Xander grinned, thinking the sight was impressive.

The marines holed up behind the gate opened the large doors to allow for Xander's group, while Chief made his way along the catwalk. Xander heard a bunch of fluttering and looked up. He quickly switched to his assault rifle.

Drones were everywhere. They flew in from the skylight, firing needlers and plasma everywhere. Chief drained the plasma turret, then dropped it aside and fired from his assault rifle. After a brief battle, the drones and the Phantom deploying them withdrew, and large gate slowly opened to the next area.

Chief paused for a moment, and Xander quickly realized Chief had done this before, in the jungle. Chief shook himself, then ran on.

Chief mounted a mongoose, and a marine wielding a rocket launcher mounted the back of it. There were several of the ATV vehicles, but there was no room for Xander.

After Chief led the mongoose vehicles into action, Xander hoofed it to where he could see a marine position. He had the duck behind cover and amidst the wreckage of some structure in the middle of the area to avoid the Ghosts. He found a dead marine whose radio had fallen off his ear. Xander could hear the earpiece, meaning it still worked, and he picked it up.

Xander could hear Johnson giving a warning about something big was approaching. Xander ran up the ramps to the marines armed with rocket pod turrets. Xander noticed a crane hanging off the platform he was standing on.

Xander ran to the lift, thinking he might glimpse what Johnson was talking about. He hurriedly activated the elevator and quickly arrived at the top. He ran down the catwalk at the top and saw what he was looking for just as Johnson yelled, "Scarab! Find some cover! Now!"

The Scarab was going to pass very close to the crane, and Xander had an idea. He waited not too far from the edge of the platform. He had a short run just before he jumped onto the Scarab. He switched to his fuel rod gun and fired on the first Brute he saw, blowing the Brute off the large walking tank.

Master Chief saw the Brute fall to the ground, landing with its neck at a strange angle, it's body blackened. He looked up at Xander, who was admiring his handy work before moving on.

"We have a friend on the Scarab," Chief reported.

"Who is it Chief?" Keyes asked.

"Xander, Ma'am. He found a way on board and is killing everything on board."

Xander methodically continued around the Scarab, killing the Covenant troops operating the vehicle with his plasma and spike grenades. He had blown a Brute to bits with two shots from his fuel rod gun, his third shot of the clip, when he heard Johnson over the radio.

"Xander, if you can hear me, look up and wave."

Xander momentarily considered ignoring the Sergeant Major, but decided against it, opting for a little fun. He looked at the closest Pelican and waved. "Hey, Johnson. Done twiddling your thumbs?"

"Why you little-"

Keyes interrupted Johnson. "Xander, there should be a power core on the Scarab, near the back... I think. Blow that, and the entire Scarab should explode."

Xander looked around him for a moment. "Is there a part of that plan that doesn't include me going down with the ship?"

"I'll bring my Pelican down for a quick pickup, but don't rush things. It would be pointless if you got yourself killed. Call when your ready for evac."

Xander ran around to the rear and quickly found the core. He pulled his plasma rifle out with his left hand and drained it on the safety cover while he held the fuel rod gun in his left, but it wouldn't come off, it only broke a little. When he had dropped the spent plasma rifle aside, a gold clad Brute popped from behind its cover, but Xander blew it off the deck as well.

"Crazy ape," Xander spat before he thought about how he was going to destroy the core without blowing himself up with it, seeing as he used up all of the grenades that he could have stuck to the core. He lowered his fuel rod gun, then a plan hit him. "Commander? Best start your approach. I'll have this core damaged any time now. Meet me by the front."

He took his two spare clips for the gun and wedged them on the core, behind the safety cover. Then he unloaded the weapon and wedged the final round onto the core. He could already feel the ammunition grow hot, threatening to explode. He ran like a hundred Brutes were on his tail and met the Pelican up front. The core chose to blow just as he got out of blast range. The Scarab lowered itself and started to fall apart around him.

The open back of the Pelican had just presented itself to him when he jumped, and Johnson and the Arbiter gabbed his arms as he neared the drop ship, almost falling short. They quickly yanked him aboard.

"He's on! Go! Go! GO!" Johnson yelled. The Pelican blasted away from the doomed Scarab, and the oversized tank blew sky high.

The Pelican rocked and almost flew out of control, but Hocus's and Keyes's combined effort steadied her.

"Good work, Xander." The Arbiter praised, patting Xander on the back. The marines in the Pelican applauded him and cheered. Keyes brought the Pelican to the ramps and the Arbiter hopped off, followed by a few marines. Johnson went back to the cockpit after pushed Xander into a seat. "Sit down and stay out of trouble."

The Pelican took to the air again, and Xander got his first look over the city of Voi since he was flown in so long ago to help with the Search and Rescue efforts. As the Pelican's doors closed, Xander felt himself go limp.

Xander was exhausted, and his eyes slowly closed. He drifted off to sleep with the whine of the Pelican's engines for a lullaby.

BOOM! BOOM!

Xander bolted upright. He had been slouching in the seat as he slept, and now had a crick in his neck. Ignoring the discomfort, he entered the cockpit.

"What the heck was that?" he asked. "It sounded like all the munitions in the world just exploded."

"Lord Hood has begun his attack run," Keyes explained. "Those big booms were the MAC guns."

The strange looking object in the middle of the gigantic hole the Covenant were digging was suddenly lifted up by a huge platform, and a bunch of ramp-like structures rose and pointed at the strange object.

"What's the three legged thing?" Xander asked, pointing at the strange object. "Some sort of giant stool?"

"That's a Forerunner ship," Keyes explained.

"Forerunners?"

"The ancient civilization that the Covenant worships and that built what the Covenant have uncovered here."

Johnson grunted. "Not that they did us any favors."

There was a burst of bright light that blinded Xander for a moment and a huge shock wave that sent the Pelican tumbling.


	4. Floodgate

_Floodgate_

Keyes and Hocus barely managed to right the Pelican just meters before they could hit the ground, and lifted the drop ship back into the sky.

Hood coughed over the radio. "What did Truth just do? Did he activate the rings?"

Keyes squinted at the black sphere hovering high in the sky. "No sir, but he did do something."

"We've got another contact! Coming out of slipspace!" someone yelled on the radio.

Xander looked and saw another Covenant cruiser appear out of a bright light. Something about it was different. It looked... decayed. Decomposed, even.

"The Flood," Keyes whispered.

"How do we stop it, Commander?" Hood asked.

"Find the crashed Flood ship, overload it's engine core," Keyes replied. "We either destroy this city or risk losing the entire planet."

"Do it," Hood ordered.

"Chief, make your way to the crashed flood ship. You don't have much time."

"Copy that," Chief replied over the radio.

Xander looked towards where the ship had crashed. "Chief, if you can hear me, it looks like it crashed somewhere near where we... I mean, you took down the first AA Wraith."

"Copy that, Xander."

Keyes looked down at Xander. The man was scared, but he did his best to hide it. She decided not to tell Xander what the Flood was. She glanced down at his fingers that were gripping her seat. "What the-" she thought.

Johnson pushed around Xander to get to the back. Xander moved forward, his eyes not leaving the city below. He pointed at something. "What is that thing? Is that the Flood?"

The thing ran across the roof tops, and Keyes pulled the Pelican higher, making sure the thing didn't jump onto the drop ship.

Suddenly, there were many more Covenant cruisers in the sky. Xander touched the MA5 on his back, but he knew that the weapon would be useless against the vessels.

"Hail humans and take heed. This is the carrier _Shadow of Intent_. Clear this sector while we deal with the Flood."

Xander looked at Keyes for an explanation. Keyes looked down at him. "They're Elites. They broke off from the Covenant, and are now our allies."

"Where were they when we needed them in the orbital battle?" Xander asked.

"Keeping the Flood contained as long as they could. They bought us the time that we needed. We can't fight both the Flood _and_ the Covenant at the same time."

Xander nodded. "So these guys are the Arbiter's people," he thought to himself.

Johnson came back into the cockpit. He leaned around Xander. "I've got everything strapped down back there, Commander, just in case we need to do some quick maneuvering."

"Good work, Johnson."

"Hail Keyes, Commander of the Humans."

"Go ahead, Ship Master."

"There is a presence on the Flood's vessel."

Keyes's eyes grew wide.

"We believe it to be your construct."

"Cortana," Johnson whispered.

Keyes called the Chief.

This was the first time Xander had been on a Covenant ship, let alone a carrier. The Ship Master sat in a chair hovering above the table around which the group was gathered. Chief was standing between the Arbiter and Xander. Keyes stood next to Xander, and Hood next to her.

Elites silently lined the edges of the room, waiting patiently for orders. They looked almost in awe at the device floating around humming to itself.

343 Guilty Spark, the monitor of Installation 04 ("What ever that meant," Xander thought when the floating light bulb had introduced itself), was repeatedly shooting a blue beam at the small device on the table. Keyes had explained to Xander that Spark was a Forerunner AI, a monitor of one of the Halo rings. She also had to explain what a Halo ring was.

"Will it live, Oracle?" asked the Ship Master. "Can it be saved?"

"Oracle?" Xander asked. Keyes gestured that she would explain later.

"It is difficult to tell," Spark replied.

"Perhaps one of our technicians-" Hood began, but the Ship Master waved him down.

"That will not be necessary," the Elite replied.

"Chief!" yelled a miniature blue woman. Xander looked away when he realized that the hologram appeared to be naked. Keyes saw this and suppressed a smile.

"Success!" yelled Spark.

"The Gravemind, it knows I'm in the system."

"It's just a message," Chief explained.

"Let it play," the Ship Master beckoned.

Cortana continued. "But it doesn't know about the portal, where it leads. On the other side, there's a solution to the Flood, a way to-" then the image doubles over in pain. "Chief hurry, there isn't much time." The image disappeared.

"So it's decided. Our fight is through the portal, with the bastard Truth."

The elites roared. Hood looked at them all, then hung his head. "Fine, we'll remain here, hold out as long as we can."

"Did you not hear? Your world is doomed." The Ship Master stood and walked atop the table. "The Flood, a Gravemind has you within its sights."

"And you, Ship Master, just glassed half a continent. Maybe the flood shouldn't be the only thing I should be worried about."

"A single flood spore can destroy an entire species. Were it not for the Arbiter's wise council, I would have glassed your entire planet."

Hood was about to reply and Keyes made to stop the Admiral, but Xander beat them both to the punch. "Enough!" Xander yelled, all the frustrations he had been holding inside himself the days since his fleeing from New Mombasa erupting out. "We've all lost everything we held dear. The Elites lost their faith, we've lost our colonies and our families. Earth may be all that we have left, but if Truth activates the rings, that is bigger news. I have no idea what this Halo business is or what connection they have with the Forerunners, but I bet it spells bad news." All eyes were on him now. "It's either we combine our efforts, or we'll both end up as Flood victims." He looked at Hood. "We can not afford to let our petty differences drive our shaky alliance apart. We need to decide, right here and now, what to do. _Together_!"

Hood eyed the young man. "Blacksmith, isn't it?"

"Yes, Admiral," Xander replied.

"You sound just like your father," Hood told him. "Stubborn old cuss. I'm glad a part of him lives on in you." Hood looked at the Ship Master. "He's right. You have my apologies."

"And you have mine."

"So," Keyes leaned on the table. "What's the plan?"

"It seems we have a battle on two fronts," the Arbiter replied. "We face total annihilation if we ignore either side, but we can not fight both at the same time."

Hood looked up at the ship master. "I'll use everything in my disposal to slow down the Flood. I suggest you take your fleet and deal after Truth."

The Ship Master nodded. "And we're done with him, we'll bring back the solution to the Flood. We'll rid ourselves of the Parasite once and for all."

"Sir, permission to go with them."

Everyone turned to the Chief. Hood nodded. "Granted, 117. Commander, take _Forward Unto Dawn_ and go with them. Mr. Blacksmith," Hood turned to Xander. "Keep an eye on her for me. She's a bit hasty sometimes."

"Sir!" Keyes objected, but the Admiral waver her down.

"Stick with her like glue. I want her back in one piece."

"Sir, yes sir!" Xander replied.

"And these are the CO's Quarters. I haven't used them much..."

Hood led them into the main room. The quarters were luxurious compared to the rest of the ship, though it still seemed a bit spartan. There was a small bed against the wall, a private bathroom, and a small liquor cabinet.

Keyes nodded. "These will do fine sir."

Hood nodded. Then he wrinkled his nose. "What's that smell?"

Keyes thumbed over her shoulder at Xander. "He hasn't had bath since he escaped the Covenant controlled New Mombasa ruins."

Hood nodded. "I can understand that."

Keyes's eyebrows shot up. "If I recall, Xander," she turned to whom she was addressing, "You promised to bathe at the first opportunity."

Xander raised his eyebrow. "And your point?"

Keyes pointed to the private bathroom. "Go."

"Are you serious?"

"First opportunity, remember?" Keyes said.

"You might want to get in there, Xander, before she pushes you in there," Hood advised.

"March!" Keyes ordered.

Xander sighed in defeat and grudgingly marched into the bathroom. "A simple 'please' would have sufficed."

It wasn't long after he had shut the door before they heard the shower start up. Hood chuckled. "Stubborn, just like his father."

"So you knew the elder Mr. Blacksmith."

"General Blacksmith was a mean cuss. Pity he distanced himself from his sons. I understand that Jack also died," Hood told her.

"His little brother? Yes." Keyes sat on the bed.

"We've confirmed that his mother died during the Covenant bombardment, but I haven't told him yet." Hood sat on the liquor cabinet. "I just don't have the heart to tell him that he's the last Blacksmith."

"Like how I'm the last of the Keyes?" Keyes asked.

"You were different. You're a soldier."

"If you knew all he did, especially during our push to free a path for you, you'd say the same about him." Keyes, lay back on he bed. She sighed. "I had forgotten what a real bed feels like."

"He's real good, huh?"

Keyes spring up. "What?"

"Xander. He's a good fighter?"

Keyes managed to control her blush. "Uh, yes... yes he was. He took down a Scarab tank all by himself."

Hood whistled. "Only the Chief's done that before."

Keyes thought for a moment. "Sir?"

"Eh?"

"What does it mean when a person's fingertips turn blue, but he's still standing?"

Hood looked up at this, worry creasing his brow. "Xander's finger tips turned blue?"

"Only for a moment. I saw them as he gripped for balance in the cockpit of the Pelican."

Hood sighed. "It seems his father's condition was hereditary."

"Sir?"

Hood leaned back. "Old General Alex Blacksmith had a heart condition. It didn't pump well enough to properly oxygenate his body. He took a pill that squeezed natural adrenaline into his system for a day or so, but if he didn't take them on time, his fingers started turning blue. The poor bastard died when the pills stopped taking effect." He chanced a glance at the bathroom door. "Our medical advances in that area have been small since the war started, so I fear our little Xander here is doomed to the same fate."

Keyes sadly bowed her head. "How terrible."

"He's probably accepted his fate. That doesn't mean that he can't have a full life. His father died in his sixties, so he has, what, forty years left?"

"Thirty. Johnson told me Xander was thirty."

"The years go by so fast." Hood stood. "I better find him some new clothes. You want to have him toss his dirty ones out?"

"Yeah, I'll do that."

Hood left. Keyes quietly went to the bathroom door. She knocked. "Xander?" There was no response. "Xander?" She called again. There still was no response.

Keyes risked opening the door a crack. She peeked through to make sure he hadn't collapsed in the shower. What she saw froze her.

Xander's back was to her, and he was washing the dried blood off himself. There was a lot. She saw the poorly healed scars that ran on his back, arms, and legs. She quickly pulled her head back. "Xander?"

She heard him scuffle. "Uh, yes?"

"Sorry, but I knocked and you didn't answer. You all right?"

"Peachy."

"Okay. Hood went to get you some clothes, so I thought you could throw the old ones out here and let us disposes of them."

"Sure, in a minute."

"Okay," she called back, closing the door. The image of Xander's scarred body pushed into her mind, and she quickly pushed it back. Hood soon returned.

"He going to get rid of his clothes?"

"Yeah, he said he'd throw them out in a minute."

The door to the bathroom opened and Xander, clad in a robe, carried his clothes out.

"Sorry about borrowing the robes, but I didn't want to wear the towel."

"Don't worry about it, Xander. I've never used them," Hood told them. He traded Xander the new clothes for the old. "We'll go through the pockets for you and save what's inside."

"Thanks," Xander told him.

When Xander had returned to the bathroom, Hood chuckled. "He probably doesn't remember he used to call me 'Uncle Hoodie.'" He quickly frowned at Keyes's raised eyebrow. "Don't let that get around, Commander."

"Wouldn't dream of it, sir."

They went through the old clothes. Keyes looked over the pant legs. "They're saturated with blood!" She looked closer. "Why is it a dark pink?"

"General Blacksmith had a poor red-blood cell ratio, which only worsened his condition. Xander must have inherited that too." He held up the shirt, which was obviously peace-corps issue, judging by the fabric and the multiple pockets. "That is not his blood," he added, gesturing to the stain on the shirt. "He was doing search and rescue?"

"Yeah."

"Takes after his mother in that category, then. She was a surgeon." He went through the pockets of the shirt.

Keyes carefully pulled Xander's wallet out of his pants. She opened it and looked at the pictures.

The first one was a small snapshot of Xander and another man, both wearing the peace-corps volunteer shirts with the many pockets. Both had name tags above the left breast pocket, both reading 'Blacksmith.' "Is that Jack?"

Hood looked at the photo. "Yes, it is. Boy, how they've grown."

She admired the two before flipping to the next picture. "His mother?"

"That's Samantha, all right." Hood smiled. "That's General Blacksmith next to her."

Keyes flipped to the next picture. A baby in a hospital crib, fast asleep. Keyes heard the Admiral sigh. "That's his little sister. She died shortly of unforeseen complications."

"Sounds like Xander's family has known a lot of tragedy," Keyes whispered.

She turned to the last picture, a young woman sitting on a bench, her back to the camera. The girl in the picture was looking over her shoulder, smiling into the camera. Keyes studied it for a while.

"Andrea, my girlfriend in high school," Xander said. The two naval officers looked up at him. He leaned against the door in the marine fatigues. "She died because of a drunk driver." Keyes closed the wallet.

"I'm sorry," she told him. "We shouldn't have pried."

"It's all right," he walked over and removed the belt from the pants and put it on. "I don't mind. It was bound to come out sooner or later how close my family is to tragedy." He took the wallet gingerly out of her hands. He opened to the picture of Andrea. He sighed. "Too close."

Keyes noticed the old-style dog tags around his neck. Xander noticed her gaze and smiled. "My father's dog tags. He gave them to me before he died, the only thing he did to cross the barriers he had put up between us." He put the tags away. He pocketed his wallet and donned the belt. "My father still managed to teach me a few things over those barriers."

"Like?" Keyes asked.

Xander gently looked at her. "You don't know what you've lost until it's gone."


	5. The Ark

_The Ark_

The Pelican bearing Lord Hood slowly closed its doors on Keyes, Master Chief, and Xander, the former two saluting. Xander just nodded politely, since he, technically, wasn't part of the military, and it would have been out of place for him to salute.

Keyes glanced at Xander as she turned away from the closing hanger doors of the _Dawn_, remembering the last thing Hood had told her when they grabbed a private moment.

"I also want you to keep an eye on my friend's son. He's the last thing remaining of Blacksmith's legacy. That's why I'm having stick him so closely to you."

Xander noticed her glance and raised an eyebrow at her, but Keyes's attention quickly turned elsewhere. Xander looked to where she was gazing and saw the Arbiter talking with Johnson. Johnson was smoking one of his noxious cigars. The two joined the trio.

Johnson looked over Xander. Xander had donned marine armor over the fatigues, but didn't wear a helmet. "Nice duds," Johnson said, and pointed to Xander's freshly bandaged head. "But you might want to rethink the helmetless head bit, if you recall the Brute chieftain incident."

"What Brute chieftain?" Keyes asked.

"No one told you? Xander took on a Brute chieftain just before Hocus showed up, and won!" Johnson blew a cloud of smoke out. "That's why the head's bandaged. He took a nasty bump when he went flying." Johnson laughed, poking the back of Xander's head, earning a nasty glare from the 30 year old.

"How?" Keyes asked.

"I broke the stock of my carbine on its face," Xander explained, "and it dropped the hammer it was carrying. I suppose I was lucky that the bastard dropped it behind itself instead of on me. It's only because it was between me and the hammer that I managed hang on to my life."

"The kid has guts," Johnson said. "He just has to figure out how not to spill them before this is over."

"That shouldn't be a problem, Sergeant Major," Keyes told him. "Lord Hood has seen fit to appoint Xander as my personal body guard."

Johnson laughed. "Oh that's rich," he belted. "A body guard? Hood must not know you very well... that, or he knows you all too well."

"Shut it, Johnson," Keyes ordered.

_Forward Unto Dawn_ appeared through the portal along side the Elite fleet. In the distance, the Brute Fleet advanced.

Keyes looked over the fleet. She pressed the comm control. "Truth's ship isn't taking part in the attack. He must have gone to ground."

"Copy that," Johnson replied. "We'll find you a landing zone and then figure out where the cocky bastard is."

Deadly plasma fire erupted between the two covenant factions. Though the Elites were outnumbered three-to-one, they held their own rather well against the Brutes.

Xander stood next to Keyes as she sat in her command seat. He felt useless on the bridge. There wasn't anything to shoot at. He itched to get into action.

Keyes puled a container out of her pocket. "By the way, Hood sent this with his compliments." Xander took the container and opened it. A single pill rested inside. "He said to take it ASAP. He knows it's a smaller dosage than you need for a full day, but it'll help."

"So you know."

"Hood knew all about it. He was a friend of your father's."

"I figured he knew the General."

"Huh?"

"My father never let me call him anything but that or 'sir.'" Xander popped the pill in his mouth and swallowed. "Mom didn't like it, but he was too stubborn."

Keyes nodded and returned her attention to the battle. She needed to keep the _Dawn_ out of the line of fire, a single hit could gut the ship, killing everyone aboard.

Xander shifted his stance. He was carrying a shot gun and a carbine strapped to his back. His belt was filled with grenades and ammo clips.

"Ma'am!" yelled an ensign. "A Brute frigate had taken notice of us. Their evading the Elites and are bearing down on us!"

Keyes sprang into action. "Helm, set a course to sling shot around the closest Elite ship. Be careful not to get caught in the cross fire. Weapons, stand by to fire the MAC gun and the ARCHER pods on my command."

The Dawn's booster engines kicked in, launching the UNSC frigate around the Elite cruiser and then to bear down on the Brute frigate.

"We have firing solutions," the weapons officer reported.

"Fire at will!" Keyes ordered.

The MAC gun fired, followed by the ARCHER missiles, streaming through space towards the Brute ship. The Brutes were taken by surprise as their shields failed with the MAC salvo and the missiles met their hull. The missile pods fired again, tearing the Brutes' hull further. The MAC gun fired again and the Brute frigate tore in half.

"Chief, I need an a landing zone ASAP. This is a heavyweight fight, and the _Dawn_ only has the tonnage to last a few rounds."

"Copy that."

After two more skirmishes with Brute Frigates, Johnson called over the radio. "Commander, Hocus almost set a wake off, but we spotted a structure on the other side of this wall that matches Cortana's description of the map room on the first Halo ring."

Keyes's face lit up, "A cartographer. Good. Clear that LZ, then we'll worry about getting past that wall."

Another Brute frigate bore down on the _Dawn_, but a Elite cruiser blasted it out of the sky.

"Commander, the LZ's clear. Come on down."

"Roger that. Helm, set her down on those coordinates." Keyes braced herself in her chair, and Xander followed suit.

The Dawn dove like a hawk, pulling up and slowing as she reached the LZ. The ship stopped as close to the ground as the helmsman dared.

"Thanks, Chief," Keyes said over the radio. "We wouldn't have lasted much longer up there. Come to the back of the frigate. If we can't go over the wall, we'll go through it. Chief take a tank." She stood and turned to Xander. "Xander, with me. Let's load up a Pelican."

By the time that Keyes and Xander had arrived in the Pelican, Chief had already taken out a Scarab and several Wraiths. Johnson's Pelican dropped the Arbiter and some marines off on the building and the group rushed inside. Keyes and Xander were alone in the cockpit, the door to the aft section closed. Xander sat in the lower chair as Keyes piloted the Pelican from the upper seat.

The first few minutes of waiting were silent. Then Keyes broke the silence.

"So..." She thought a moment. "What do you like to do?"

"What?" Xander asked, looking up at her.

"Look, we're going to be stuck together until this is over, so it would help if there weren't so much silence when we're alone," she replied.

Xander glanced down before he replied. "Sorry, it just that the question came out of nowhere. It caught me off guard."

"Are you going to answer it, of should I toss it into the pile of unanswered questions?"

"I've only left one of your questions unanswered."

"I'd like to know the answer to that one too."

Xander chuckled. "I always like sailing."

"Oh?"

"I loved how the wind blew in my hair, how the salty air could be tasted when I licked my lips. I liked the freedom I felt it gave me. I was away from my university studies, away from the war, away from my cares."

"What did you study?"

"Ah-ah! It's your turn. What do you like to do?"

Keyes thought for a moment. "You ever wonder why I'm in the pilot's seat so much?"

"You love to fly."

"Yeah," she admitted. "It's like what you said. Flying is my escape." There was a brief pause.

"Military strategy," Xander blurted out.

"What?"

"My major. My minor was medicine. A strategist and a medic."

"Interesting combination," Keyes commented. "My turn to answer a question?"

"Yes."

"Fire away."

"Were you close to your father?"

"We tried, but the burden of war was always keeping us apart. Still, I felt we could talk about everything. You were right, by the way." She looked at Xander's confused face. "You never know what you have until it's gone."

"I'm sorry."

"He died a hero and a good man. I take comfort in that."

"My turn to answer a question."

"Chief!" Johnson yelled over the radio. "You've got a whole mess of hostile air inbound! Get downstairs for pick up!"

"Go Spartan!" the Arbiter called. "I will help your Sergeant clear the skies."

"Hold on everyone!" Keyes called to her passengers. She pushed the engines hard. "You know how to fire the guns?"

"They have Pelicans in the Army too," Xander told her. "Father made sure I could shoot any gun put in my hands and I do mean 'any.'" To prove his point, Xander simultaneously used the missiles to shoot down a Phantom and the machine guns to bring down a Banshee.

"Show off," Keyes muttered.

"I'm not showing off," Xander argued. "I'm being efficient."

"Oh, no. You _are_ showing off."

"How about this: _you_ worry about keeping _us_ from getting shot down, and _I'll_ worry about shooting _them_ down." Xander destroyed another Banshee to punctuate his suggestion.

"Deal. And remember: it's your turn to answer a question when this is all over."

It didn't take long to chase off the Brutes and their aircraft, and it was time to pick up Chief. Hocus brought her Pelican about to pick up the Chief.

Chief glanced up. "Commander!"

Keyes and Xander looked up at the hundreds of Sentinels that rose from below them. "Johnson!" She called as Xander tried to figure out whether he should shoot or not.

"I got them!" Johnson replied.

"Wait!" Spark shouted. "They mean us no harm. Those units have a priority task."

"Oh, yeah? Like what?"

"I'm not sure. We should investigate-"

"No," Keyes interrupted. "We need to stop Truth first."

"But your construct! Her solution to the Flood."

"That waits until after we stop Truth from firing the rings."

Keyes than managed to get directions from Spark to where Truth was. After she plotted a course, Xander turned to her. "What do the rings do again?"


	6. The Covenant

_The Covenant_

"So we take down those three, and the barrier will fall?" Keyes asked.

"A small section," Spark confirmed, not looking at her at all, but examining Xander. Xander felt that Spark was being a bit odd and tried to shoo him.

Xander looked at their targets. The towers had bright beams of energy coming out of them. Spark had explained that the towers could be accessed from the outside of the shield, and Xander had given up trying to convince the construct that such an access was a serious design flaw.

Xander itched to be in action, but if Keyes wasn't going to be fighting on the ground, neither would he. He instead had to wait with the Commander out of the range of fire.

"Commander," yelled Hocus. "Tower One approach is active triple A. We lost our wingman and our only hog."

"Copy that, Hocus. Get out of there. Chief, clear that LZ, and I'll send in some vehicles."

Xander waited while Chief cleared the LZ, Keyes dropped off the vehicles, and Chief rushed the tower. He saw the first beam of light shut down.

"Good work, Chief," Keyes called over the radio. She smiled at Xander. "That's one. The Arbiter and the Elites should be- That's two!" The second beam went dark. "Now for Johnson's team."

The third beam didn't shut down. "Get outside, Chief," Keyes ordered. "Wait for pick up."

Xander turned on his mike. "Xander to Team 3. Johnson, you all right?"

"There's too many here!" yelled the Sergeant Major.

Xander glanced at Keyes. The woman quickly hit some controls.

"Hold on, we're on our way," she ordered.

"Negative. We're falling back."

"Sergeant Major!" Keyes shouted as they lost contact. "Chief, get to tower three. We need that shield down so the Ship Master can attack."

The air battle for tower three yielded an Allied victory, as did the land skirmish for control of the outside of the tower. The Chief and the Elites charged the inside, and soon, the third tower went dark.

A part of the shield fell. The _Shadow of Intent_ crept forward.

"Now, liar, your end has come," the Ship Master muttered.

A something dropped out of the portal. It was huge.

"High Charity?" The Ship Master whispered. "By the gods! Brace for impact!" A huge chunk of... something impacted the carrier and blasted through. A small piece broke off and struck the third tower. The huge thing, High Charity, crashed into the Ark.

"Ship Master! Status?" Keyes asked.

"Weapon system disabled."

"Get out of here. We'll deal with Truth," Keyes told him.

"Why would the Parasite come here?" The Ship Master asked.

"The Ark is out of range of all the active installations!" Spark yelled.

"Chief, get outside," Keyes ordered. "Advance on the Citadel. Kill Truth."

"The Prophet will die by my hands," the Arbiter challanged.

Keyes grimaced. "I don't care _who_ does it, just get it done!"

Xander saw Chief board a tank and drive it through a tunnel. Keyes lifted the Pelican over the hills. Chief made it to a ledge where a pair of Hornets waited for him. He boarded one and took off.

Two Scarabs were launched from somewhere that Xander didn't see. He fired on the leg joints and the area he remembered the power core was. It didn't take long before one Scarab was down.

"Everyone, focus you fire on the second Scarab," Keyes ordered. It was a shorter time before the second Scarab was destroyed.

"Chief, meet the Arbiter at the top of the ramp," Keyes ordered. "Get into the Citadel. Marines, kill the stragglers."

"My Faithful," said a voice over the radio. Xander recognized it as Truth. Xander went with a hunch and turned on a screen. Truth starred at him "Stand firm. Though our enemies crowd around us, we tread the blessed path. For in a moment I will light the rings, and all shall be saved."

Truth stepped aside to show a stuggling Johnson. Keyes saw the image over Xander's shoulder.

"Chief, where are you?" She asked.

"Not close enough," was the reply.

"Fine," She said to herself. Xander could see the gears turn in her head. He did a quick inventory. They had dropped off the tank for Chief and all the marines they were carrying had left with the Chief.

Keyes gunned the engines. They flew along the outside of the long hallway of the Citadel.

"Commander?"

Keyes ignored Xander.

"Keyes?"

No answer.

"Miranda!" shouted Xander.

"What?"

"Are you doing what I think you're doing?"

"Rescuing Johnson? Yes!"

The Pelican made a wide turn and dipped. Xander's eyes went wide.

"Miranda, are you nuts?"

"Maybe, or this would never work!"

They crashed through the window, landing on the platform, and slid to a halt. Keyes unbuckled herself.

"Come on, Xander!" She yelled.

"I'm stuck!"

She turned and saw that he was right. During the crash, the seat had broken and shifted forward, pinning Xander to the controls. She grabbed the seat, trying to pull it off him.

Xander grabbed the shotgun he had dropped and handed it to her. "Go! Save Johnson before they activate the rings!"

She ran out or the Pelican and shot a Brute point-blank in the gut as it tried to rise. "Johnson, sound off!"

The Sergeant Major coughed. "Get... out... of here!"

"Not without you!"

"You can not stop us," Truth said confidently. Keyes pointed her shot gun at the again rising brute, then pulled her sidearm.

"You can not hope to defeat them all."

"Never fear!" A voice shouted. "Xander is- oh just hit the deck!" Keyes spotted Xander, who had apparently freed himself, hefting a rocket launcher. She dropped, and she heard Johnson do the same. The rocket fired and killed the Brute closest to Keyes, blasting it into no existance. Another rocket killed two more brutes.

As Xander reached to reload, a spiker fired, and seven spikes hit Xander across his front, from his gut to his chest. He dropped the rocket launcher.

Keyes saw his fall in slow motion, and she screamed out his name. She jumped up and fired her side arm point blank into the face of a Brute that rushed her. Side stepping the monster, she tossed the shotgun to Johnson as she ran to Xander. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Truth take aim at her with a spiker. A red beam of light shot at Truth, missing the Covenant holy leader and killing a Brute next to him. The prophet dropped behind cover.

Keyes looked up at the source, a furious, red-eyed 343 Guilty Spark. Keyes had never seen him angry.

Fury dripped from the construct's voice as he eyeballed Truth. "You will not harm another Reclaimer!"

"Get the Oracle!" shouted a Brute chieftain, and Johnson fired a round into it's face.

"And stay down, Covenant bastard!" The Sergeant Major yelled.

Suddenly, the platform was beseiged with Flood. It was as if the tide had come in.

Johnson managed to regroup with Keyes and together they kept the Parasite at bay.

Keyes glanced down at Xander. Xander wasn't breathing. "Johnson! Keep then at bay! I'm giving Xander mouth to mouth!" She yelled.

"Whatever for?"

"He's stopped breathing!"

Johnson cursed and fired round after round into the flood of Parasite.

Chief and the Arbiter chose to show up at that time. Chief kept firing the Assault until the clip ran out, then he switched to the fuel rod cannon on his back. The Arbiter helped Johnson keep the Flood away from Keyes and Johnson.

The first thing that Xander noticed as he regained consciousness was Keyes's mouth on his own, breathing life into him. He coughed.

Keyes looked relieved. "He's awake!"

Xander cursed. Keyes looked back down at him. "What?"

"My first kiss from you, and I coughed. I'm never going to live that down."

Keyes grinned mischievously. "That wasn't a kiss," She told him, leaning close again. She pulled his face to hers. She kissed him, deeply and long. "That was a kiss," she told him, finally pulling away. Xander was left breathless again and a little dazed.

"Sorry to end your makeout session," Johnson yelled, slamming a shell into the rifle, "but all the ammo I have left is in the gun!"

Keyes grabbed the rifle. "Grab Xander and get him into the Pelican before they overrun it. We're getting out of here. Spark!" She yelled. "We need some help over here!"

An explosion erupted at the bridge control, and then the monitor began shooting at the flood that tried to jump over. "I belive that should slow them down."

Johnson bent down and lifted Xander from the platform floor.

"Hey, Sarge," Xander wheezed.

"Hello, yourself, but don't expect a kiss from me."

Soon, the last flood form fell, and the platform was quiet, save for the violent blasts of Spark's laser. Chief quickly went to help him.

The Arbiter moved over to where an infection from was devouring Truth. The Covenant leader reached tenderly for the the Arbiter.

"Arbiter..." the prophet breathed pleadingly.

The Arbiter activated his energy sword. "Silence, swine." With that, he dramaticly thrust Truth through. The infection form was rudely squashed with the Arbiter's hoof.

Keyes checked with Johnson and Xander, then started the Pelican's engines. The Arbiter boarded and Chief joined them. They slowly lifted off. After they had left through the hole that Keyes had made, Spark flew inside the Pelican. The Arbiter closed the hatch after him.

Johnson had finished getting the spikes out and the holes filled with biofoam. "Lucky bastard," Johnson muttered. "He's lucky his other lung didn't get hit, let alone his heart." He looked up at Spark, who was hovering over Xander. "Can I help you?"

"May I examine him?" Spark asked.

Johnson studied the construct before nodding at Xander. "Knock yourself out." Johnson failed to notice Xander's look of annoyance.

"I don't know how that would help things," Spark replied as he studied Xander. A dim beam came out of his eye and scanned Xander's body over several times. The light disappeared. Spark was quiet for a few moments before turning to Johnson. "The boy has a hereditary desease dating back to his Forerunner ancestors."

Johnson stepped back. "He's a Forerunner?"

"As you all are, didn't you know? You are the decendents of the Forerunners, who returned to the galaxy after firing the rings, and the natives of your planet."

"I'll be-" Johnson began, but the Arbiter interrupted.

"To think," he muttered, "that I have been killing the children of my lords all this time. I am ashamed."

Johnson turned to him. "Don't go depressing, Arbiter. You can make your wrongs right again."

"We must get to a medical center immediatley!" Spark shouted. "If your Commander would kindly adjust her course by eighty degrees to the portside of the vehicle, we will arrive at the facility in appoxamently one-half of your hours."

A large boom sounded behind the Pelican before anyone could answer him. Chief, who was still by the hatch stepped aside and turned around.

A partually completed ring was rising ever so slowly from the ground. Chief turned to Spark.

"A replacement," Spark told him, knowing the question forming on the lips of the Spartan, "for the installation you destroyed."

"When did you find out?"

"Just now." Spark leaned in close. "What do you intend to do?"

Chief looked at the construct. "Light it."

"Then we are agreed," Spark replied.

"How will you light it?" The Arbiter asked. He was answered with a single word.

"Cortana."


	7. The Facility

_The Facility_

Chief and the Arbiter had gone to get Cortana, Spark to the new Halo, and Johnson, Keyes, and Xander to the medical facility. The building was in the midst of the mountains, hidden amongst the peaks and crevaces.

The Pelican landed softly on the landing platform and was brought inside. Once the building's doors closed behind the moving landing platform, something came out to meet them.

"Welcome Reclaimers. I am 012 Repentant Odyssey, Monitor of the Medical Facility. How may I be of assistance?"

Keyes and Johnson carefully carried Xander out on a fold-out gurney that the Pelican had been equiped with. Xander was just barely conscious.

Odyssey quickly scanned Xander. "Several injuries, infections, and... hmm... the rare-" then he said a word that neither the standing humans understood. He turned and summoned a stable hovering gurney. "Place the patient on this and follow me. We shall nip his disease in the bud once and for all!"

"You can cure him?" Keyes asked.

"Of course I can, Reclaimer. I would think you would know that."

Keyes smiled appologetically at Odyssey. The four beings quickly moved down a bright, white hallway and to a operating room. Odyssey dropped in front of the two healthy humans.

"Wait here, please," it asked.

"But Lord... I mean, his only living relative asked I not leave his side," Keyes explained, roughly elbowing Johnson as he looked oddly at her.

"Is his relative also inflicted?" Odyssey asked.

"No. The relative is an his... uncle on his... uh... mother's side, and it was his father that carried the disease," Keyes explained.

"Oh. If the relative was also inflicted, then I would've had you go and get him once this procedure was complete."

"How long will this take, Tinkerbell?" Johnson asked impatiently.

"My name is 012 Repentant Odyssey. The time of the procedure is short, but can vary with each patient."

Johnson nervously looked at Keyes. They had to make the rendezvous with Chief and the Arbiter at the new Halo or they would all die.

Keyes turned back to Odyssey. "My friend here has an important engagement and may not be able to return, so is there a ship or something we may borrow after he leaves with his vehicle?"

"Certainly. There is a shuttle in the hanger on the far side of the facility from your vehicle. It is yours, if you care to have it."

Keyes smiled. "Thank you." She turned to Johnson. "Go help Chief and the Arbiter. Fire the ring."

Odyssey looked at Keyes. "Have the Flood become a problem again?"

Keyes turned as Johnson ran to the Pelican,. "Yes, and we're here to activate the rings," she lied, "but some meddlers tried to thwart our efforts. We took care of them, but my friend was hurt, and we wanted his disease cured while he recovered."

"Why didn't you take him to another facility sooner?" Odyssey asked.

"We wanted only the best to take care of him," Keyes lied.

Odyssey's eye, which was a golden hue, grew a bit lighter. "You flatter me, dear. Come and watch my expertise."

Odyssey let her enter. Before the door closed behind her, she heard the Pelican's engines roar.

The surgery took forty minutes, and Keyes helped a now fully healed and cured Xander get dressed. Odyssey had been adamant that Xander's armor and shirt be removed, but the boots and pants could remain. As they secured the last of it, she took Xander's arm over her shoulders and pulled him close.

"He should be disoriented only for a moment." He watched the way Keyes kept checking on Xander. "Excuse me for prying, but is he your mate?"

Keyes blushed as she wondered how to answer that when Xander slurred, "I would like her to be."

Keyes almost dropped him in surprise, but she quickly secured him. "Xander... did you just propose?"

Xander tried to look in her eyes, but his own were too out of focus. "Isn't that the usual way one gets a marriage started?" He asked, still sluring the words.

Keyes laughed merrily as she carried him down the hall. "It's the romantic way to do it."

"So what's the answer?" Xander asked.

"It was your turn to answer a question, Xander, remember?" Miranda reminded him.

"I answered it."

"Huh? I didn't ask it yet."

"It was the one we skipped, remember?"

"Oh. When did you answer that?"

"At the same time I answered the lightbulb's question."

"You little cheat."

"Never. I'd never cheat on you."

After ten minutes of walking, Keyes and Xander reached a moving platform that sped them along to a hanger, where the shuttle waited. Keyes looked at it and kicked herself. She didn't know how to fly a Forerunner ship. She looked pleadingly at Oddyssey. "I'm not familiar with the design," she explained. "How will I fly it?"

"It will come to you, Reclaimer." He looked at the hatch and it opened. The engines started. "Fare thee well. Come visit anytime!"

"Sure," Keyes told him before disappearing into the shuttle. The hatch closed behind her.

After strapping Xander frimly into the copilot's seat, and bruching his lips with her own, she strapped herself in and looked at the controls. They seemed strangely familiar. She felt impressed to press this button, then that one. She felt the ship move.

Keyes soon got the hang of the controls, and was able to do very difficult manuevers very easily with the press of a button. She pointed towards where the _Dawn_ would be, then gunned the engines. As she approached, she saw the ring start to fall apart.

"Uh-oh."


	8. The Return

_The Return_

Keyes gunned the engines harder, trying desperately to beat the clock. It would only be a matter of time before the unfinished Halo would explode, and... Keyes really didn't want to think about what would happen. She called frantically over the radio. "Johnson! Chief! anybody!"

"Commander?" Cortana replied.

"Give me a sit-rep!" She ordered.

"Spark went rampant when he found out we were going to destroy the ring."

"Again," the Arbiter added. Keyes would have laughed if the situation hadn't been so serious.

"So he killed Johnson. Chief had to kill him, but the ring is activated now. We're racing for the _Dawn_ in Johnson's Warthog, but the ring's falling apart behind us."

"Yeah, I can see that. I have Xander with me and we're on our way. This Forerunner shuttle is certainly much faster than the Pelican, that's for sure."

"Xander? Forerunner shuttle? You have a lot of explaining to do, Commander," Cortana put bluntly.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, Cortana. I think I might beat you to the _Dawn_, seeing as I can now see it now." She corrected her course so she would make a beeline for the frigate. "I'll have the engines warm when you get there... I hope."

Keyes took a risk and looked over at Xander. The man she loved was fast asleep. Funny. An hour ago, the man would've needed the adrenaline this excitement provided to stay alive, but now he was asleep. Keyes delightfully took comfort Xander would never have to take another pill for his father's disease again.

Keyes carefully flew into the hanger of the _Forward Unto Dawn_ and landed the shuttle as closely as she could to the personel doors in the front. Xander had woken up by then, and Keyes had disembarked and accessed a terminal. Using her password, she ordered the engines to start, but not to fire. She wanted them good and hot when the Chief's Warthog arrived. She logged out and helped Xander to the bridge. Strapping him into a seat, she heard Cortana over radio.

"Commander, we're in!"

Keyes quickly leaped over to the helm and ordered the engines to fire. Almost as a side thought, she ordered the hanger doors to close.

She buckled herself into the helm's seat. Chief and the Arbiter joined her soon afterwards. Chief slipped Cortana's chip into the ship's computer.

Cortanna appeared before Keyes. "Nice ride. That the shuttle?"

"Yeah. Xander's over there," she nodded towards the weak man. "He just underwent surgery in the Ark's medical facility."

Xander waved at Cortana. "Nice to finally meet you," he slurred.

Cortana looked at Keyes. "He okay?"

"Peachy. He's just a little disoriented from what ever 012 Repentant Odyssey gave him as an anesthetic," Keyes told Cortana.

Cortana looked at Xander again. "Nice. Where'd he come from?" Keyes didn't answer her.

The _Dawn_ sped towards the Portal, which was shrinking rapidly. Keyes ordered Cortana to give her a countdown for when the portal closed. Keyes couldn't push the engines any further, since they were at maximum already.

"We'll make it... I think," Cortana told her. "Fifteen seconds until the portal closes."

"Ten seconds."

"Five seconds..."

Keyes grimaced.

"Four."

Keyes squinted.

"Three."

Keyes closed her eyes, seriously tempted to pray.

"Two."

Keyes started praying.

"One."

Lord Hood mournfully removed his hat. He gave the funeral speech, honoring the dead and those who had lost everything. He looked over the crowd.

"As we rebuild, this hillside shall remain barren, a memorial to those who lost their lives, believing that our fight was elsewhere."

The twenty-one gun salute sounded, and as each battle rifle sounded the thunder, a couple gripped their joined hands tighter together.

Soon, Miranda Keyes was able to place a cigar under the picture of Johnson. Xander stood next to her, placing an empty needler under Wilson's picture. Hand in hand, they returned to where Chief and the Arbiter had remained, standing shock still in respect of the dead.

The Arbiter approached and bowed before the Pelican wing. Rising, he found Hood standing next to him. "Xander's managed to talk me into forgiving what your kind did for us. The little scamp has managed to convince our remaining leaders to pursue a further alliance with you Sangheili."

The Arbiter glanced at Xander, who was walking away with Keyes, hand in hand. The Arbiter turned back to Hood. "He is resourceful indeed. Stubborn."

Hood extended his hand. "I want to thank you for watching over them. I hope we can find friendship where bitter hatred once ruled."

"I hope the same as well," the Arbiter replied. "Were it so easy. I will contact you again, when my people are ready to atone what we did."

Xander and Miranda Keyes were sitting on a slope not far from the memorial. The rings on their fingers relayed the answer to Xander's question.

"So, Hood is going to perform the ceremony," Xander stated. "We've gotten that far. Who's going to be the best man and the maid of honor?"

"Let's keep this private. Very few guests, no reception."

Xander looked at her. "No reception? Are you even a woman?" His joke earned him a punch in the arm. "Okay, okay. No reception. What about witnesses?"

"Chief and Cortana can do it. She looked it up," Miranda explained. "No law says that an AI can't be a witness to a wedding."

"Where will we have it?"

"On the _Dawn_, of course."

"Honeymoon?"

"Let's go sailing."

Xander arched an eyebrow in disbelief. "No flying?"

Miranda smiled. "I think I've had my share of flying for a while." She laid her head on Xander's shoulder.

Xander looked at the sky, confident he'd never experiance tragedy again.

**The Fight is Finished.**


End file.
